System and method for location based inventory management

• US 9,078,095 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2013
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BillJCo LLC
• Original Assignee: William J. Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miah, Liton
• Application Number:
  US13/972,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20130339185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/16 Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Provided is a distributed system and method for enabling new and useful location dependent features and functionality to mobile data processing systems. Mobile data processing Systems (MSs) interact with each other as peers in communications and interoperability. Data is shared between mobile data processing systems to carry out novel Location Based eXchanges (LBX) of data for new mobile applications. Information transmitted inbound to, transmitted outbound from, is in process at, or is application modified at a mobile data processing system triggers processing of actions in accordance with user configured permissions, charters, and other configurations. In a preferred embodiment, a user configurable platform is provided for quickly building well behaving LBX applications at MSs and across a plurality of interoperating MSs. Tools, triggered interfaces and integrated applications are disclosed for a breadth of MS LBX configurations and functionality.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing inventory specifications for use, by a user carried mobile data processing system having phone call capability, in comparing with product data determined by the user carried mobile data processing system for one or more products, the user carried mobile data processing system brought by a user to a vicinity of the one or more products, the inventory specifications accepted through a user interface as specified by the user of the user carried mobile data processing system and including;

at least one condition including a user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining an identified data processing system being located at a user specified location wherein the identified data processing system is identified upon the inventory specifications accepted through the user interface as specified by the user,

an inventory description for the one or more products for the comparing with the product data determined by the user carried mobile data processing system for the one or more products, and

a stock specification for the one or more products for the comparing with the product data determined by the user carried mobile data processing system for the one or more products;

monitoring for the at least one condition including the user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining the identified data processing system being located at the user specified location;

detecting the at least one condition including the user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining the identified data processing system being located at the user specified location;

invoking inventory application processing upon the detecting the at least one condition including the user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining the identified data processing system being located at the user specified location, wherein the inventory application processing determines a stock count for the one or more products; and

comparing the stock count for the one or more products with the stock specification upon the invoking the inventory application processing.

2. The method of claim 1 including using the product data for shopping information.

3. The method of claim 2 including altering application data of another application with the shopping information.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the another application is a calendar application.

5. The method of claim 2 including providing a user interface for reconciling the shopping information.

6. The method of claim 1 including processing for purchasing at least one of the one or more products.

7. The method of claim 6 including processing for authorizing the purchasing at least one of the one or more products.

8. The method of claim 6 including providing a user interface for tracking delivery of the purchasing at least one of the one or more products.

9. The method of claim 6 including providing a user interface for maintaining payment information for the purchasing at least one of the one or more products.

10. The method of claim 1 including providing a user interface for managing inventory information and maintaining the inventory information in a group or category.

11. The method of claim 1 including terminating the inventory application processing upon detecting when the identified data processing system departs being located at the user specified location.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one condition includes a condition for the user carried mobile data processing system detecting receipt of a transmission from a remote data processing system in proximity of the user carried mobile data processing system wherein the transmission was solicited by the user carried mobile data processing system.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one condition includes a condition for the user carried mobile data processing system detecting receipt of an unsolicited transmission from a remote data processing system in proximity of the user carried mobile data processing system.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one condition includes a condition for the user carried mobile data processing system detecting a particular data processing system being located at a configured location.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one condition includes a condition for the user carried mobile data processing system detecting a particular data processing system being located in proximity of a plurality of data processing systems.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one condition includes a condition for the user carried mobile data processing system detecting a particular data processing system being located a configured distance to a particular location.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one condition includes a condition for the user carried mobile data processing system detecting a particular data processing system being located in proximity of a particular location at a particular time.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one condition includes a condition for the user carried mobile data processing system to determine at least one of:

information for an email application,

information for a messaging application,

information for a calendar application,

information for an address book application,

information for a phone application,

information for a map application,

information for a storage application,

information for a file system application,

information for a database application,

information for a search application,

information for an internet browser application,

information included in a Whereabouts Data Record received by the mobile data processing system from a remote data processing system,

information included in a Whereabouts Data Record of the mobile data processing system,

information associated to an application of a remote data processing system,

information associated to an application of the mobile data processing system,

information for a statistic,

information for historical data,

information for a geofence specification,

information for a nearby specification,

information for a nearness specification,

information for a specification using a distance,

information for a vicinity specification,

information for a situational location specification,

information associated to a file,

information associated to a directory,

information for SQL database data,

information for a group,

information for a plurality of data processing systems,

information for a date specification,

information for a time specification,

information for an arrival,

information for a departure,

information for a profile match percentage,

information for a profile tag match count,

information for a Whereabouts Programming Language specification,

information for an XML specification,

an atomic operator,

information for a point,

information for a radius,

information for a perimeter,

information for a sphere,

information for a region,

information for a Boolean value,

information for a physical location address,

information for a two dimensional region specification,

information for a three dimensional region specification,

information for an emergency application,

information for a RFID application,

information for a hotspot application,

information for a services application,

information for a traffic application,

information for an appliance application,

information for a device application,

information for an account management application,

information for a public transportation application,

information for a carpool application,

information for an advertising application,

information for a news application,

information for a picture application,

information for a video application,

information for a parking lot application,

information for an employment application,

information for a real estate application,

information for a line,

information for a polygon,

information for a mathematical coordinate system,

information for a specification described by a set of geographical coordinate system points,

information for a specification described by a set of spatial coordinate system points,

a plurality of identifier information for the mobile data processing system,

a plurality of identifier information received in a wireless data record by the mobile data processing system,

geofence information received in a wireless data record by the mobile data processing system,

waymark information received in a wireless data record by the mobile data processing system,

deliverable content information received in a wireless data record by the mobile data processing system,

halo information received in a wireless data record by the mobile data processing system,

information for a direction, or

information for data created by the user of the user carried mobile data processing system with a user interface to a map.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more products is associated to a RFID device.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the user specified location based condition includes an associated privilege governing processing of the user specified location based condition.

21. A user carried mobile data processing system with phone call capability, comprising:

one or more processors;

a user interface;

at least one memory coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the at least one memory includes executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, results in operations comprising;

storing inventory specifications for use, by the user carried mobile data processing system with phone call capability, in comparing with product data determined by the user carried mobile data processing system for one or more products, the user carried mobile data processing system brought by a user to a vicinity of the one or more products, the inventory specifications accepted through a user interface as specified by the user of the user carried mobile data processing system and including;

at least one condition including a user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining an identified data processing system being located at a user specified location wherein the identified data processing system is identified upon the inventory specifications accepted through the user interface as specified by the user,

an inventory description for the one or more products for the comparing with the product data determined by the user carried mobile data processing system for the one or more products, and

a stock specification for the one or more products for the comparing with the product data determined by the user carried mobile data processing system for the one or more products;

monitoring for the at least one condition including the user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining the identified data processing system being located at the user specified location;

detecting the at least one condition including the user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining the identified data processing system being located at the user specified location;

invoking inventory application processing upon the detecting the at least one condition including the user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining the identified data processing system being located at the user specified location, wherein the inventory application processing determines a stock count for the one or more products; and

comparing the stock count for the one or more products with the stock specification upon the invoking the inventory application processing.

22. A method, comprising:

storing inventory specifications for use, by a user carried mobile data processing system having phone call capability, in comparing with product data determined by the user carried mobile data processing system for one or more products, the user carried mobile data processing system brought by a user to a vicinity of the one or more products, the inventory specifications accepted through a user interface as specified by the user of the user carried mobile data processing system and including;

at least one condition including a user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining an identified data processing system being located at a user specified location wherein the identified data processing system is identified upon the inventory specifications accepted through the user interface as specified by the user,

an inventory description for the one or more products for the comparing with the product data determined by the user carried mobile data processing system for the one or more products, and

a stock specification for the one or more products for the comparing with the product data determined by the user carried mobile data processing system for the one or more products;

monitoring for the at least one condition including the user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining the identified data processing system being located at the user specified location, wherein the at least one condition includes;

a condition for the user carried mobile data processing system detecting receipt of an unsolicited transmission from a remote data processing system in proximity of the user carried mobile data processing system, and

a condition for the user carried mobile data processing system detecting a particular data processing system being located a configured distance to a particular location;

detecting the at least one condition including the user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining the identified data processing system being located at the user specified location;

invoking inventory application processing upon the detecting the at least one condition including the user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining the identified data processing system being located at the user specified location, wherein the inventory application processing determines a stock count for the one or more products; and

comparing the stock count for the one or more products with the stock specification upon the invoking the inventory application processing.

23. The method of claim 22 including processing for purchasing at least one of the one or more products.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the at least one condition includes a condition for the user carried mobile data processing system to determine at least one of:

information for an email application,

information for a messaging application,

information for a calendar application,

information for an address book application,

information for a phone application,

information for a map application,

information for a storage application,

information for a file system application,

information for a database application,

information for a search application,

information for an internet browser application,

information included in a Whereabouts Data Record received by the mobile data processing system from a remote data processing system,

information included in a Whereabouts Data Record of the mobile data processing system,

information associated to an application of a remote data processing system,

information associated to an application of the mobile data processing system,

information for a statistic,

information for historical data,

information for a geofence specification,

information for a nearby specification,

information for a nearness specification,

information for a specification using a distance,

information for a vicinity specification,

information for a situational location specification,

information associated to a file,

information associated to a directory,

information for SQL database data,

information for a group,

information for a plurality of data processing systems,

information for a date specification,

information for a time specification,

information for an arrival,

information for a departure,

information for a profile match percentage,

information for a profile tag match count,

information for a Whereabouts Programming Language specification,

information for an XML specification,

an atomic operator,

information for a point,

information for a radius,

information for a perimeter,

information for a sphere,

information for a region,

information for a Boolean value,

information for a physical location address,

information for a two dimensional region specification,

information for a three dimensional region specification,

information for an emergency application,

information for a RFID application,

information for a hotspot application,

information for a services application,

information for a traffic application,

information for an appliance application,

information for a device application,

information for an account management application,

information for a public transportation application,

information for a carpool application,

information for an advertising application,

information for a news application,

information for a picture application,

information for a video application,

information for a parking lot application,

information for an employment application,

information for a real estate application,

information for a line,

information for a polygon,

information for a mathematical coordinate system,

information for a specification described by a set of geographical coordinate system points,

information for a specification described by a set of spatial coordinate system points,

a plurality of identifier information for the mobile data processing system,

a plurality of identifier information received in a wireless data record by the mobile data processing system,

geofence information received in a wireless data record by the mobile data processing system,

waymark information received in a wireless data record by the mobile data processing system,

deliverable content information received in a wireless data record by the mobile data processing system,

halo information received in a wireless data record by the mobile data processing system,

information for a direction, or

information for data created by the user of the user carried mobile data processing system with a user interface to a map.

25. A user carried mobile data processing system with phone call capability, comprising:

one or more processors;

a user interface;

at least one memory coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the at least one memory includes executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, results in operations comprising;

storing inventory specifications for use, by the user carried mobile data processing system with phone call capability, in comparing with product data determined by the user carried mobile data processing system for one or more products, the user carried mobile data processing system brought by a user to a vicinity of the one or more products, the inventory specifications accepted through a user interface as specified by the user of the user carried mobile data processing system and including;

at least one condition including a user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining an identified data processing system being located at a user specified location wherein the identified data processing system is identified upon the inventory specifications accepted through the user interface as specified by the user,

an inventory description for the one or more products for the comparing with the product data determined by the user carried mobile data processing system for the one or more products, and

a stock specification for the one or more products for the comparing with the product data determined by the user carried mobile data processing system for the one or more products;

monitoring for the at least one condition including the user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining the identified data processing system being located at the user specified location, wherein the at least one condition includes;

a condition for the user carried mobile data processing system detecting receipt of an unsolicited transmission from a remote data processing system in proximity of the user carried mobile data processing system, and

a condition for the user carried mobile data processing system detecting a particular data processing system being located a configured distance to a particular location;

detecting the at least one condition including the user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining the identified data processing system being located at the user specified location;

invoking inventory application processing upon the detecting the at least one condition including the user specified location based condition for the user carried mobile data processing system determining the identified data processing system being located at the user specified location, wherein the inventory application processing determines a stock count for the one or more products; and

comparing the stock count for the one or more products with the stock specification upon the invoking the inventory application processing.

26. The user carried mobile data processing system of claim 25 wherein the operations include processing for purchasing at least one of the one or more products.

27. The user carried mobile data processing system of claim 25 wherein the at least one condition includes a condition for the user carried mobile data processing system to determine at least one of:

information for an email application,

information for a messaging application,

information for a calendar application,

information for an address book application,

information for a phone application,

information for a map application,

information for a storage application,

information for a file system application,

information for a database application,

information for a search application,

information for an internet browser application,

information included in a Whereabouts Data Record received by the mobile data processing system from a remote data processing system,

information included in a Whereabouts Data Record of the mobile data processing system,

information associated to an application of a remote data processing system,

information associated to an application of the mobile data processing system,

information for a statistic,

information for historical data,

information for a geofence specification,

information for a nearby specification,

information for a nearness specification,

information for a specification using a distance,

information for a vicinity specification,

information for a situational location specification,

information associated to a file,

information associated to a directory,

information for SQL database data,

information for a group,

information for a plurality of data processing systems,

information for a date specification,

information for a time specification,

information for an arrival,

information for a departure,

information for a profile match percentage,

information for a profile tag match count,

information for a Whereabouts Programming Language specification,

information for an XML specification,

an atomic operator,

information for a point,

information for a radius,

information for a perimeter,

information for a sphere,

information for a region,

information for a Boolean value,

information for a physical location address,

information for a two dimensional region specification,

information for a three dimensional region specification,

information for an emergency application,

information for a RFID application,

information for a hotspot application,

information for a services application,

information for a traffic application,

information for an appliance application,

information for a device application,

information for an account management application,

information for a public transportation application,

information for a carpool application,

information for an advertising application,

information for a news application,

information for a picture application,

information for a video application,

information for a parking lot application,

information for an employment application,

information for a real estate application,

information for a line,

information for a polygon,

information for a mathematical coordinate system,

information for a specification described by a set of geographical coordinate system points,

information for a specification described by a set of spatial coordinate system points,

a plurality of identifier information for the mobile data processing system,

a plurality of identifier information received in a wireless data record by the mobile data processing system,

geofence information received in a wireless data record by the mobile data processing system,

waymark information received in a wireless data record by the mobile data processing system,

deliverable content information received in a wireless data record by the mobile data processing system,

halo information received in a wireless data record by the mobile data processing system,

information for a direction, or

information for data created by the user of the user carried mobile data processing system with a user interface to a map.